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Maps · head to head

Lonboard vs OSRM

Lonboard logo

Lonboard

Maps

Python map rendering in Jupyter that skips GeoJSON and moves millions of features without choking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
O

OSRM

Maps

High-performance open-source routing engine designed for OpenStreetMap data, providing fast route calculations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lonboard it is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file; OSRM free and open source routing engine under the 2-clause BSD license, no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, OSRM covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lonboard and OSRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Lonboard and OSRM differ
AttributeLonboardOSRM
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Lonboard

  • GeoArrow binary transfer
  • GeoPandas input
  • deck.gl layers
  • Jupyter widget
  • Large dataset handling
  • Styling by attribute
  • Open source licence

Only in OSRM

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lonboard

  • An analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that sizenot OSRM
  • A researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processingnot OSRM
  • A data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a GISnot OSRM
  • A team building an internal analysis pipeline on GeoParquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middlenot OSRM

OSRM

  • Calculating efficient delivery routes across continental-sized road networks in millisecondsnot Lonboard
  • Building navigation features for mobile apps without constructing routing infrastructurenot Lonboard
  • Customizing route optimization for car, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation modesnot Lonboard
  • Integrating OpenStreetMap data for real-time routing in web applicationsnot Lonboard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lonboard

  • It is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file
  • Maintenance sits with Development Seed as an open source side output of a consultancy, so roadmap priorities follow client projects and there is no support contract to buy
  • Layer coverage is a subset of deck.gl, so an analyst needing a less common layer type has to drop to pydeck or write JavaScript rather than staying in Python
  • It expects data already in GeoPandas or Arrow form, which means the performance benefit depends on the rest of your pipeline being Arrow-friendly; reading a large Shapefile is still the slow step
  • Rendering happens in the browser, so very large datasets are ultimately limited by the client machine's memory and GPU rather than by the server, and a laptop will still fail on data a workstation handles

OSRM

  • Free and open source routing engine under the 2-clause BSD license, no commercial tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Lonboard

Free
  • LonboardFree
    • Open source, no licence fee
    • No usage limits
    • Installed from PyPI or conda

OSRM

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the OSRM review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Lonboard if

  • You need geoarrow binary transfer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want geopandas input.
Lonboard review

Choose OSRM if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
OSRM review

Questions people ask

Is Lonboard or OSRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Lonboard starts at Free and OSRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lonboard or OSRM?
Lonboard starts at Free and OSRM at Free.
Does Lonboard or OSRM run on more platforms?
Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. OSRM runs on Web.
Can I use Lonboard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lonboard best used for?
Lonboard is most often used for an analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that size, a researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processing, a data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a gis, a team building an internal analysis pipeline on geoparquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middle. Of those, an analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that size and a researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processing are not what OSRM is typically brought in for.
What can Lonboard do that OSRM cannot?
Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget. OSRM covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lonboard: Why not just use pydeck?

pydeck serialises geometry to GeoJSON to reach the browser. Lonboard uses a binary GeoArrow pipeline, which is the reason it handles far larger datasets in the same notebook.

OSRM: How much does Project OSRM cost?

Project OSRM is completely free and open source, distributed under the permissive 2-clause BSD license with no licensing costs or fees.

Source
Lonboard: Who maintains it?

Development Seed, a geospatial engineering consultancy, as an open source project. There is no commercial support offering.

Lonboard: Does it work outside Jupyter?

It is built as a Jupyter widget. Exporting to standalone HTML is possible, but the intended environment is a notebook.

Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?

Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.

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